Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-11-01
BEHIND THE SCENES.
A Daylight Rehearsal In the Big Thea
ter Of a Great CitJ-Pr0gress
OF Play.
"Kiss that Womnn," Exclaimed the
Leading Lady TO the Leading hIan.
New York Sun.


town was wide open at an hour more sug
gestive of late breakfast and the opening
of the stock market than of anything
theatrical. The daylight was streaming
in upon the lobby, and little OF 1t WAS
making its way unchallenged past the
empty box ONCE and the unguarded gate
right into the csvernous auditorium,
where 1t took q few center-aisle seats,
leaving all the rest in q half gloom. It
wss followed in there by 8 reporter OF the
Sun itself-a beam of the local sun which
| dummies life in the metropolis as the
older luminsry in the sky iIlumines the
metropolis itself.
The sunlight was not as welcome in
there ss the reporter. How strange is
| the opposition Of daylight to the stage?
| Fnst is pretty theater by nigh :, bat now
H. looked dusty and tawdry and shabby
| 1t had the atmosphere Of CELLAR ard the
untidyness of a garnet. The curtsiH was
up and from gaspipe that reached down
from the rigging over the stage a great
Jet of gas fame blew to and fro in the
draught. The scenery was hOdge-p2Gge
| of dozen sets with g bit OF woods IL
between p6rlor wall and castle tower,
and it seem shockiDgly painted, as if 4
| aOuse painter had tried his hand at the
| dDer art.
Under the wind blown gas flames sat 6
young msn beside an Imprinted kitchen
rsbe reading a book made Of sheets of
manuscript sewed t. gether. His hist was
on the back of his head, and he held CT
gar in his teeth in such a way that the
| lighted end was opposite his eyes. Men
and women were scattered sill about the
stage and the front Of the auditorium. a
very pretty young girl, whose face has
often won praise from Casino audiences
though this was not the Cssiuo-Was
seated on the padded velvet rail Of 8
private box with her feet on the stage
She WAS talking to an elderly but very
gay locking woman seated On the edge Of
he stage with her feet on the rail OF the
orchestra. Two dudish-looking men in
The perfect strire Of tie youth who lounge
along upper Broadway were taking to
one another On the stage Osner men
and women were in the wings and the Or
chestra seas. The occasion was a re-
nesrsal.
The men were actors and the women
actresses. TIE rehearsal was as inter-
estlng as 1t was novel to one unused to
the methods of the stage. For instance,
one of the young men struck at the other
who fell as if q ad, out instantly arose
md began 10 dust bis clothing rhe man
who had struck him said: any G d! he
ia killed. have killed him. l must n.y."
and Instantly started for the wings.
ono, no, Ed" said a stout young
woman from the wings. "You've left z
lot out, and some OF it is important, don't
you kuO%?"
ayes, you're right" said the young
man, returning to the center of the stage
and suddenly altering his voice to sn ar
tif1cisl tone and precise manner OF speak
ing: 81 have killed him-but no; he is
stsbbed--with knife and in the back. l
mad no knife. l struck him in his chest.
Great heavens what Can this mean? but,
or do not know. He is desd. I must
have killed him-I must have killed him ~
Then the young man returned to his
natural voice, and said: "Let's see.
How does 1t GO? What can this mean2
assuming the stage voice again But,
nj do not know
"Weu, that's all right, Ed" eaid the
actress; "You're all right. Now say, I
must fy.'"
In tne play, as it is TO be presented, q
third man VII creep up behind the man
who Wss killed and strike him with s
knife while he and the other man are
Guarrellng, SC that the audience will saG
| why the innocent young man should have
i thought himself, murderer, but it was
sll Greek to the reporter, though he aft
erward perceived that trIfing omissions
Ike that are not accounted Serious III a
drst rehearsal. It would be tedious TO
| follow the whole rehearsal. The actors
cane on and jumoled their parts up with
their side tslk in the most incomprehen-
siole and sometimes the most ridiculous
manner. They argued and quarreled, and
till the play went on just as the pattern
# carpet comes out OF the confusion OF
fying boOblDs and intrlCAtely moving
| wires and spools in weaving machine.
Now, my dear Miss Montague" said
the Tearing man, while he was on one knee
| beside the leading lady, "When l say 10
you Il love you darling, can't you trEst
me?' you mus, say, Oh, do, do trust
you,' and you must turn and put your
head on my shoulder, just as Granger
used TO do. You really must be more
| elusive, Lottie, or you'll spoil the"
| "Spoil your grandmother, GOOSE" re-
| piled the leading lady, "I'll do it right
when have tied nv shoe. There, now,
DO it over, and I'll euit you"
"But, damn 1t, Lottie, you have been
ying your shoe twice, RoW, in the most
| import"
"Mr. Duval. you shall not use such
language. I will not have it. Ii you
cannot be gentle"
"Os, go on" said the leading man.
al love you, darling; can't you trust
ns?"
ooh! I do, do trust you,'" said the
plump young woman, wheeling in her
caxir and throwing her ringletted head on
the young mans shoulder. AZ suddenly
she raised 1t and, remarked in her OWL
voice: "But cont like to be talked TO
like yellow dog, and want you to see
shatit never happens again."
/ 5fter little more of the tender dia-
\ ff3gue of the play she returned TO the lac
I ing of her shoe, of which no more nseds
| 70 be said than that she observed the pre-
veiling taste for black in the CHOICE OF
her hosiery. While this fact woa being
noted by the loungers in the orchestrs
chairs the low comedian was whispering
t., the reporter to look st the beVY OF men
| around the pretty young lady frUm the
Casino,